Piano-action



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Patented May me Nonms Pneus zo4 rm UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.,

RUBIO E. COBB, OF IIEPIIZIBAII, GEORGIA.

PlAN@==ACTlOl\l SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.582,155, dated May 4, 1897'.

Application iiled May 19, 1896.

T0 @ZZ whom t may concer/2,.-

Be it known that I, RUBIO E. COBB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Iileph- Zibah, in the county of Richmond and State ofGeorgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPiano-Actions, of which the following is a speeication.

My invention relates to improvements in piano-actions, and has for itsobject to provide an action for use on upright or grand pianos simple inconstruction and economical and durable in manufacture.

A further object is to provide an action for pianos capable of greatrapidity ot action, certain and direct motion, and easy and accurateadjustment.

Vith other objects in view, which will hereinalter be apparent, myinvention consists in the peculiar construction of the hammer and itsoperating mechanism and the novel combination of certain parts, all ofwhich will hereinafter be fully described in the specilication andparticularly noted in the claims, attention being directed totheaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of myimproved action. Fig. 2 is a side view of saine. Fig. 3 illustrates thehard-pedal mechanism, and Fig. 1l is a detail view of the actuatingmechanism.

In the construction of my invention I employ the usual metal framing lfound in upright pianos, which is braced by means of suitable rods 2 tothe rear framing. To the latter is secured the wrest-plank and thestringplate, the wires being secured to the wrestpins and tuning-pins inthe usual manner.

The key A has a eut-out portion a, to which is secured an adjustableseat a, such seat carrying a felt washer a2 and forming a rest for theweighted vertical block B. This vertical block B has formed in it a slotb, through which passes a horizontal bar l1', secured to thehammer-rail-supporting legs X X, the purpose of such bar l1 being tomaintain the block B in a vertical position.

The upper end of the block E has a reduced portion e, working in a slotc', formed in the inner end of the actuating-lever O, and being heldtherein by a pivotal pin e2. This Serial Nox 592,190. (No model.)

actuating-lever O is fulcrumed at c3 to a downwardly-extended arm 7tot'the jack-bed rail K., the outer end thereof having an upwardlyprojectingportion ci, working ina slot formed on the lower inner end of thejack-bed lever D and being guided in its movement by means of pins a1,sliding in the slots y, formed in the bifurcatcd ends of said jack-bedlever D. This jack-bed lever D is obtuse-angled and fulcrumed at d tothe outer bil'ureated end of a horizontal projection 7e of the jack-bedrail K, and to the upper end ot' the jack-bed lever is pivoted theactuatinack E, the inner end c of which extends into a slot lormcd inthe hammer-butt. Said jack E is in function a push-bar, whereby thejack-lever D acts on the hammer-butt F.

The hammer-butt F, carrying the strikinghammer IW, is fulcrumed at tothe upper arm of the jack-bed rail K, said butt having a cut-out portionf or recess, carrying a cushion-block f on its rear face, and into whichthe inner end of the actuating-j ack E works when the key is operated.An adjustable y hammer-check ,Il is secured to the outer face of thehammer-butt by means ot an angular plate Z, provided with a slot Z inits upper face and secured to the butt by means of a screw Z2, suchconstruction permitting an easy adjustment of the said hammer-check.

The hammer-check .I is secured to the rod j and passes downward througha vertical slot c, formed in the actuating-jack E, said rod also passingthrough a similar slot lV, formed in the jack-bed rail K and having itsend secured in the lower end of the jack-bed leverD.

A suitable spring Il, secured to the horizontal cross-bar n, serves toreturn and hold the hammer in its normal position, this result beingelteeted by means ol' weights e, secured to the actuating-lever, jack-bed lever, and actuating-jack, such construction serving to returnthe hammer to its downward position after being struck, and beingcapable of operating independent ot the action of the spring N.

To the under side of the hammer-rail I is pivoted the dam per-actuatin gdog O,the lower end c of which is extended downward into contact withthe actuating-lever O, the upper IOO vertical portion o being suitablycushioned and normally in contact with the lower end of the damper-leverR. This lever R is fulcrumed to a support Q, secured to the upper faceof the damper-rail and carrying` on its upper end the usual damper r andits supporting-rod r. A spring r2 is secured to the support Q, andserves to hold the damper into contact with the strings.

I will now proceed to describe the pedal-operating mechanism, theconstruction of which is designed to provide a simple and positive pedalaction, and by referring particularly to l of the drawings it will benoticed that the pedal-block S is hinged upon curved lugs s and providedwith a downwardly-extendin g iinger S. To the side of the hammer-rail Pis secured a cam T, fulcrumed at t and provided on its longer arm with aslot, into which is fitted the upper cushioned end of a verticaloperating-rod U, the lower end of said rod being fitted into the innerslotted end of the hard pedal, the inner end of said cam being curvedand adapted to engage the extended finger S, whereby a pressure on thepedal will force the rod U upward and, through the medium of cam T,cause the plate S to be. rocked inward, engaging the lower end of thedamper-levers and moving the dampers out of contact with the strings, aswill be readilyT understood.

By referring now to Fig. of the drawings the operation of the soft pedalcan best be understood. To the inner end of this pedal I secure anoperating-rod U, (similar to the rod U, but somewhat shorter,) the upperend of such rod being provided with a horizontal arm u', to the upperface of which is firmly secured a rod U2, such rod having a pivotalconnection at its upper end with an operating-plate, as will now bedescribed. A plate IQ is hinged to the metal framing and lies normallyflat on the cushion I8, secured within the cut-out portion of thejack-bed rail K. The upper side of said plate lO is cushioned and formsa rest for the underleaded face hX, the purpose of which will presentlyappear. Then the soft pedal is depressed, the plate l0, through themovement of the operatingrods U' and U2, is rocked on its support, and,being in contact with the hamm er-b utt, causes it to be raised out ofcontact with the cushion J and thereby brings the hammer into closerelation with the strings, so that when a key is struck the sonorousvibrations of the strings will be lessened-z'. c., a soft sound will beproduced by reason of the throw of hammer being decreased, as will bereadily understood.

The operation of my improved action is as follows: 'When a note on thepiano is struck, the vertical block IS is caused to rise, therebyrocking the actuating-lever C and depressing the inner end of jack-leverD, the upper end of which, carrying' the actuating-jack E, is

forced inward, and the hammer, by virtue of its engagement with saidactuating-jack, is driven forward against the strings. Vhen the hammerarrives within one millimeter of the strings, the upper point ol` thecushionblock f engages the actuating-jack It in upward motion andpermits oi' the automatic escapement of the said jack. The hammer in itsrecoil is caught and held by the cushioncheck J, which closely followsthe hammercheck during the travel forward, said check J also serving tohold the hammer a short distance away from the strings when the key isheld depressed to permit ol' continued vibrations of the strings, suchresult being, when desired, accomplished without the intervention of thehard pedal for retaining the damper out of contact with the strings.

Iirom the foregoing description, in connection with the drawings, theeconomy ci manufacture and efliciency of my improved action will readilyappear. Great rapidity of action and certain and direct motion areobtained through the construction and operation of the hammer-butt andthe actuating mechanism employed to set the hammer in motion. It willalso be seen that by the substitution ot' a few mechanical equivalentsthis action may be adapted for use in a grand piano as well as in theupright.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, the following is what I claim:

l. Ina piano-action, the combination, with a key, a hammer, and thehammer-butt having a recess as specified, of the angular jackbcd leverpivoted to the bed-rail, a push-bar, or jack, pivoted to its upper armand extending into said recess, a lever for actuating the said jack-bedlever, and a bar for operatively connecting such actuating-lever withthe key, as shown and described.

2. In a piano-action, the combination, with a key, and the hammer havinga butt provided with the adjustable cushion Ii, and a recess also havinga cushion f, of the obtuseangle jack-bed lever D, pivoted to thelaterally-projecting portion of the bed-rail, the jack or push-bar E,pivoted to the upper arm of said lever, and its tree end projecting intosaid recess, and adapted to work in contact with aforesaid cushions whenthe hammer rebounds, and the pivoted actuating-lever C, having a slidingengagement with the jackbed lever, and the post I3, connecting the saidlever C and the key, as shown and described.

3. In a piano-action, the combination of a pedal-lever, and its verticalrod, the plate l0 pivoted at its inner end, and having also a pivotalconnection with the said rod at its free end, the hammer having apivoted butt provided with a recess an d a lateral extension that restson such pivoted plate, the jack-bed lever D, the jack or push-bar E,pivoted to the said jack-bed lever, and its l'ree end work- IOO IIO

ing in Jhe butt-recess, whereby it is adapted pin that slides in saidslot, and means cont0 actuate the hammer, Whether raised by heating Jchenote-lever and such actuating-ie 1o the plate l0 o11 not, as Shown anddescribed. ver, ail operating as specified.

4. In a piano-aetion,the Combination, with w the key-lever, pivotedhammer and its butt, RURIC E' COM* the jack E, and the pivotedobtuse-angie ie- Titnessesz Ver D, havingl an oblique slot in its freeend, C. H. S. JACKSON, of Jche horizontal actuating-lever C, having aJOHN B. HAYNIE.

